Coming to Poland – formal issues
Temporary residence permit/visa requirements
- EU/EEA citizens
An EU/EEA citizen can enter Poland with his/her ID document (a valid travel document e.g. passport, or another document certifying his/her identity and citizenship).
For stay up to 3 months no legalisation of stay will be necessary. For stays exceeding 3 months, an EU citizen will have to obtain a temporary residence permit. In case of students, the residence permit is issued for one year. The residence permit – once issued – will also entitle its bearer to take up work. The residence permit and the right to work also extends to the immediate family – i.e. spouse and children.
Visa
A citizen of a non-EU/EEA country can enter the territory of Poland on the basis of a valid travel document (passport) and a visa (if required). A citizen of a non-EU country has to obtain the visa from the consulate of Poland in his/her country of residence. The short-term visa entitles to stay in Poland up to 3 months, the long-term visa – up to 1 year. The prolongation of visa in Poland is only possible in case of a force majeure or situation impossible to foresee while applying for the visa in the consulate. The visa can be prolonged only once. It is therefore necessary to apply for a visa in a consulate for the whole planned period of stay in Poland.
Persons who have received a visa for the whole period of stay in Poland are not obliged to apply for a residence permit for their stay in Poland